Higgs Boson I

This week’s feature piece, Becky Phillips’ Higgs Boson I, was a late comer to our gallery exhibit. When we opened Sublime Encounters to the public in June, the Higgs Boson I was still on display in Houston. We were happy to welcome it to our gallery walls in June.

In speaking about the collection, Becky recalled that prior to beginning the series she had just returned from visiting the Sequoia National Forest in California. Fresh off this trip, Becky imagined she might find herself painting “giant trees with tiny animals next to them.” Instead she became inspired by the Higgs Boson after learning of its discovery on PBS’ “The Fabric of the Cosmos.” Becky divulges that she has always “had a keen interest in science” and finds that it often shows up in her work.

When it came to choosing color palettes, Becky wanted colors that would “invoke the sublime.” This piece, along with Higgs Boson II, III and IV, include what Becky refers to as a “laser light capturing movement.” The energy in Higgs Boson I originates in the bottom right corner with lime greens over darker almost blackish shades of green and explodes across the canvas in an array of light pink that pierces light blue masses.